EUBIJ - Call for expert report proposals - April 2026

The EU-Japan Centre is currently calling for expert report proposals for its "About Japan" information website (www.eubusinessinjapan.eu). The deadline for submitting proposals is May 03, 2026.

The EU-Japan Centre launched in 2013 a reference website for all EU companies wishing to do business with Japan: “EU BUSINESS IN JAPAN” (www.eubusinessinjapan.eu).

The objective of this website is to provide practical information for EU businesses in need of clear guidelines on trade and investment opportunities in Japan, including practical information on Japanese business sectors (market surveys, etc.) and advice on overcoming various barriers to the Japanese market (i.e. corporate taxation, IPR, etc.)

In order to provide reliable and up-to-date information on as many different relevant sectors and issues as possible, the EU-Japan Centre is reliant on reports and articles from external experts. 

With this new call, the EU-Japan Centre is preparing for the reports and online webinars to be released in 2026/early 2027. These reports should follow a structure that looks similar to the example below.

As a not-for-profit body, the EU-Japan Centre is only able to offer a nominal payment to contributing authors. However, each Author will receive an online acknowledgment (his/her name, company name and field of expertise published on the website). Should the visitors of the « EU BUSINESS IN JAPAN » portal be satisfied with the quality of the information made available on the website for a specific subject, and should they need further support, they will be invited to contact the author of the publication for further (chargeable) services.

If you don’t want to miss this unique occasion to appear on the reference portal for all EU business activities in Japan, proposals should be sent through the submission proposal form (at the bottom of this page) at the latest on May 03, 2026.

Desirable Topics

The EU-Japan Centre is currently interested in receiving reports covering the following topics:

• IT and AI technologies for energy efficiency
• Battery recycling technologies
• Smart mobility market in Japan
• Waste Management, opportunities for EU SMEs in Japan
• Electrolysers and fuel cells market in Japan
• Cloud computing market in Japan
• Cybersecurity market in Japan
• Laboratory equipment and consumables market in Japan
• Machinery sector in Japan
• What is the JIS - Japan Industrial Standard certification and how to obtain it
• Series of 3 webinars on Japan business culture
• Transport and logistics market
• Carbon Capture and storage (CCS) technologies
• Shipbuilding Sector in Japan

These reports should contain the most up-to-date information currently available. Submissions must already have been proofread in English.

Experts are also free to submit their own proposals.

Report Structure

The final draft of the approved report should consist of a minimum of 10.000 words, however for some high-tech topics as well as the export flowcharts a different word count may be appropriate.
  
With regards to the report structure, the following structure can serve as an example:

• Executive Summary / Abstract
• Description, Scope of Coverage
• Market Analysis (per product/service covered in this sector)
  • Product/service/technology description covered by this analysis (in the case of more product/service/technology covered in this sector)
  • Market Size, Trends, Profitability
  • Main Players (Competitors, Suppliers, Producers, Customers etc.)
  • Key Success Factors, Main Challenges, Opportunities
  • Distribution Channels
  • Importers & Related Organizations, Important trade fairs or other events
• Regulation for export to and sale in Japan (Standards, Labelling, Packaging...)
• Tax matters: Tariffs & Taxes
• Overview of the opportunities for EU SMEs and Recommendations 
• Appendix A: Complete Bibliography
• Appendix B: Literature & Web links

Presentations

The expert will have the opportunity to present his/her work during a one-hour webinar (including a Q&A session) to be scheduled around 2 months after the report release*. Applicants should bear this in mind when submitting their proposals.

Proposals

Your proposal should be written in English and include the following elements:

1. The work / deliverables:

• Table of Contents - please be as detailed as possible, adding also brief chapter outlines beyond bullet points
• Methodology to be used

2. The Fee

• Please state the expected fee in EUR €, excluding VAT. Payment will be made after delivery of the final report
• Please provide your VAT number (mandatory)

3. The expert:

• Full contact details of each expert
• CV(s)
• Proof of expertise
• List of publications by the Author(s) The Delivery

4. The Delivery*:

• Planned date for interim delivery 
• Planned date for final delivery 

* Exact date and webinar date will be fixed after selection
* All reports must be submitted before 31 March 2027

Depending on your range of expertise, offers can be submitted for several reports.

These reports are intended for open access online publication, and they will be made public.

Submission

Your proposal should be sent by form (available below) at the latest on May 03, 2026.

Selection results

Selection criteria will include the background of the Author(s), the quality of the contents, and the price of the report. 

The results of the selection process will be announced by late May. More technical specifications will be sent to successful candidate authors.

Key Dates

1. Deadline for proposals: May 03, 2026
2. Selection results release: Late May
3. Final report delivery period: during 2026*
4. Webinars after final report delivery: around 2 months after report publication*

* Exact dates will be fixed with each expert after selection

Submission

Please click here to submit your application.
We look forward to receiving your proposals!

All applicants shall declare promptly any potential Conflict of Interests^[1] and agree to sign a related declaration if required to do so.
^[1] A conflict of interests arises when reasons involving economic interest, political or national affinity, family or emotional ties or any other shared interest or circumstances may affect the impartial and objective nature of a process or duty.